---
title: 'Deployment Strategist at Foundry Robotics Inc.'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/deployment-strategist-foundry-robotics-inc-emeryville-vef497afrpcm'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-15'
---

# Deployment Strategist at Foundry Robotics Inc.

- **Company:** Foundry Robotics Inc.
- **Location:** Emeryville, CA
- **Compensation:** $150k–$250k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-05-28
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-15
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/foundry-robotics/8820a625-6b70-42c3-b3c1-00fd4462ba55/application

**Skills:** Defense capture, Business Development, Go To Market strategy, Contract structuring, Pipeline management, Forecasting, Military service, Strategy consulting, DoW program office experience

> Foundry Robotics seeks a Senior Deployment Strategist to drive defense capture, account strategy, and customer deployment. The role involves owning the full lifecycle from prospecting to close, building executive relationships within the Department of War and primes, and translating field feedback into product prior...

## Job description

## About Us

Foundry Robotics is building an AI-native robotics manufacturing company focused on deploying advanced assembly and production capability for leading robotics companies and national-security-critical hardware. Basically, we're building robots that build robots. Our mission is to rebuild American manufacturing as an AI-first, assembly-focused, dual-use contract manufacturer that makes the industrial base scalable, resilient, and competitive again.

## The Role

We are hiring a Deployment Strategist to open, own, and grow our most important defense relationships. You will be the human face of Foundry inside the Department of War, the primes, and the neo-primes reshaping the industrial base. Our Deployment Strategists run the full lifecycle: prospecting, capture, close, deployment, and expansion. The relationship is yours from the first call to the next contract, whether the customer is a commander in the field or a defense executive. You will be handed a market, an intent, and the keys to our most senior customer relationships. Closing matters here. So does the judgment to know which accounts to chase, which to walk away from, and which deserve a full-court press. We are not looking for someone who needs a playbook or weekly direction. We are looking for someone who can walk onto a prime's production floor, into an SES briefing, a KO's office, a Captain's wardroom, or a congressional meeting and know what to do. You should be equally comfortable walking a plant floor, structuring a multi-million-dollar contract, briefing an Admiral, and partnering with PhD roboticists to translate field feedback into product priorities.

## Key Responsibilities

Revenue Ownership & Capture

- Carry a number against defense accounts; own forecast accuracy and pipeline hygiene
- Run the full capture lifecycle from identify to close, converting pilots into programs of record and single cells into full production lines
- Set deal structures for pilots, deployments, and contract manufacturing relationships

Account Strategy

- Build account plans for the Department of War, defense primes (Lockheed, RTX, Northrop, GD, BAE, HII, L3Harris), and neo-primes (Anduril, SpaceX, Palantir, Shield AI, Saronic)
- Decide where to invest, where to wait, and where to walk
- Drive multi-stakeholder cycles end-to-end, from first conversation to signed contract

Stakeholder Navigation

- Build executive relationships across program managers, contracting officers, senior uniformed leaders, and prime executives
- Drive demos and briefings that make the technology real for the people who sign the contract
- Navigate the Hill and the Department when required

Customer & Field Deployment

- Own commercial outcomes through deployment, not just signature
- Identify manufacturing pain points and assembly bottlenecks where Foundry creates asymmetric advantage
- Partner with engineering to translate field feedback into product priorities
- Develop reference accounts that become the foundation of expansion

Travel: 50% across US customer sites, prime facilities, and DoW installations

## What We're Looking For

Founder mentality: We love people who build like it’s their own company. You move fast, take ownership, and find a way through when the path isn’t obvious. You have the drive to make big things happen and the judgment to take smart risks along the way. If you prefer a clearly defined lane, a predictable pace, and all the answers before you start, there’s nothing wrong with that—but Foundry might not be the right fit. Senior Defense Closer

- 5+ years in defense capture, BD, or commercial / GTM roles with a track record of personally closing multi-million-dollar deals
- Proven ability to land and expand within DoW program offices, primes, and neo-primes
- Deep working knowledge of how DoW programs are funded and contracted, and the difference between a prime and a neo-prime

Hardware DNA

- Background selling physical hardware into industrial or defense environments: robotics, automation, weapon systems, sensors, or similar
- Direct production exposure: manufacturing, sustainment, depot operations, or weapon system production
- Understands the difference between selling software and selling systems that have to work on a factory floor

Operator Mentality

- Operates on intent: takes a one-line objective and returns with a plan, a customer, and a path to revenue
- Full commercial accountability: pipeline, forecast, revenue, retention
- High judgment on which deals to chase and which to walk away from

Clearance & Education

- Active or ability to obtain a DoW/DoD Secret clearance preferred; ability to obtain TS/SCI

## Nice to Have (Not Required)

- Prior military service, particularly operational leadership where you led people under pressure
- DoW program office experience in industrial base, maintenance, sustainment, or procurement
- Time inside a top-tier strategy consulting firm with defense or manufacturing exposure
- Existing relationships across DoW, prime, and neo-prime executive buying centers
- A pattern of moving faster than peers and taking outsized responsibility early

Why Join Us? This is one of the only places where world-class manufacturing operators, mechanical engineers, robotics researchers, and software engineers sit in the same room — building production systems together. We are committed to being deeply embedded in the U.S. industrial base. Our focus is simple: build adaptive robotic assembly systems that make American manufacturing scalable, resilient, and competitive again. The base salary range for this full-time position in the location of Emeryville is: $150,000—$250,000 USD Compensation packages at Foundry Robotics for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Foundry Robotics employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. You’ll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, and generous PTO.

Foundry Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

## About Foundry Robotics Inc.

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Foundry Robotics is an AI-first, assembly-focused robotics company rebuilding American manufacturing with advanced automation and production systems.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2026
- **Founders**: Adarsh Kulkarni

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Robotics Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, Defense & Dual-Use Contract Manufacturing
- **Target customers**: B2B, primarily defense contractors, hardware startups, and industrial companies needing flexible, small-to-medium scale assembly
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "AI-first, assembly-focused robotics that rebuilds American manufacturing—faster, more flexible, and ready for what’s next."

## Products & Services
- **Battery Pack Assembly**: Small to medium-scale battery pack assembly that streamlines the path from prototype to full-scale production, enabling faster iteration and secure domestic manufacturing.
- **Advanced Hardware Sub-Assemblies**: Rapid construction of complex mechanical assemblies for next-generation and legacy hardware using AI-driven robotic cells, eliminating the need for bespoke factories.
- **Defense & Dual-Use Robotics**: Modular robotic cells for defense and dual-use applications that enable rapid assembly of critical infrastructure through secure and resilient American supply chains.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — $19M in seed funding (announced April 2026)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Khosla Ventures, Hanabi Capital, Red Glass Ventures, Zero Shot Fund
- **Growth Signals**: The company has grown from 14 employees to over 20 builders in a short period, with a monthly headcount growth rate of +26.7%. It opened its San Francisco HQ in May 2026, just 21 days after the space was still being opened with a sledgehammer. Website traffic is growing +128.4% month-over-month.

## Competitive Advantages
- **AI-first, assembly-focused approach**: Unlike traditional contract manufacturers that require bespoke factories, Foundry uses modular, AI-driven robotic cells that can be rapidly reconfigured for different products.
- **Dual-use capability**: Serving both defense and commercial applications, which opens up a large addressable market and provides mission-driven work.
- **Speed of iteration**: The company can go from prototype to full-scale production faster than traditional manufacturers, as demonstrated by opening its HQ in under a month.
- **Team pedigree**: The founding team includes talent from Tesla, Blue Origin, Scale AI, Google DeepMind, and the UPenn GRASP Lab.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling the engineering and manufacturing platform**: The company is actively hiring across robotics, AI, software, operations, and quality engineering roles to scale its platform.
- **Rebuilding American manufacturing**: Foundry is focused on creating a domestic, secure, and resilient supply chain for critical infrastructure, particularly for defense and dual-use applications.
- **Rapid iteration and deployment**: The company prioritizes speed, moving from concept to production floor in weeks, not years.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: Employees directly contribute to rebuilding American manufacturing and strengthening national security through advanced robotics.
- **High-caliber team**: The team includes builders from Tesla, Blue Origin, Scale AI, Google DeepMind, and the UPenn GRASP Lab, offering a steep learning curve and exposure to cutting-edge technology.
- **Hybrid workspace**: The company operates a hybrid model with a strong in-office presence at its San Francisco HQ, which includes a factory floor where robots are built and deployed.
- **Early-stage impact**: As a seed-stage company, employees have significant ownership and influence over the product, culture, and direction of the company.
- **Rapid growth environment**: With a 26.7% monthly headcount growth rate and a focus on scaling, the company offers fast-paced career growth opportunities.

## Sources
1. [foundryrobotics.ai](https://foundryrobotics.ai/)
2. [LinkedIn - Foundry Robotics](https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundry-robotics)
3. [Built In - Foundry Robotics](https://builtin.com/company/foundry-robotics)
4. [Remix Reality - Foundry Robotics Raises $19 Million](https://www.remixreality.com/foundry-robotics-raises-19-million-to-build-ai-first-robotics-for-manufacturing/)
5. [Ashby - Foundry Robotics Careers](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/foundry-robotics)

## Other roles at Foundry Robotics Inc.

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- [Assembly Technician I](https://feeny.ai/job/assembly-technician-i-foundry-robotics-inc-emeryville-avdmepd5qee2) — Emeryville, CA
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